July 26, 1775: The Continental Congress establishes the U.S. Post Office

Saturday 26 July 2008

The U.S. Post Office began as an idea of a Patriot printer who was concerned that the royal postal service couldn't reliably deliver his newspaper to readers. Benjamin Franklin became the first postmaster general. He significantly shaped the postal service by marking surveyed routes from Maine to Florida, beginning overnight delivery between Philadelphia and New York City and creating a standard rate chart for mail based on weight and distance.